On the Way to Sun Valley

[Donna T]

Just trying to make something of a photo shot from the car on a road trip. Dead grasses are a challenge and I need to keep practicing with yellows and ochres. 8x8 oil on wood panel.

 

[Enyaw]

You are getting there. Forget that you are painting grass and paint values. When you have the values a few random blades in different directions will give you a field of grass. The hills are well done.

 

[Grapes]

Looking good and harmonic by colors and composition. Very well done. I also like the fence poles dividing the field, nice detail! May l ask what blues (brand, tube name) are you using in this painting?

 

[Donna T]

That’s a good way to think of grass - thanks Wayne. It’s so hard to put the reference away but it helped me when I did. Also, I should have blocked in that area a little darker and more neutral so the golds of the grasses would stand out. Instead, I had to keep toning them down.

Thank you, Grapes. The colors are a little off here but I have given up on struggling with photography. I moved that fence line in to the painting and angled it so it would lead back to the mountains. I’m so happy to know it worked!! I used French Ultramarine blue by Winsor Newton and Cerulean blue by Grumbacher. I would like to try cobalt blue but it’s so expensive. Cobalt teal looks interesting too.

 

[Enyaw]

instead of trying to lighten the grass try keeping it darker .. too much white will ruin your grass very fast .. look, I'm a poet.

 

[Enyaw]

It’s so hard to put the reference away but it helped me when I did.

.. yes, you know what grass looks like so once you have your initial values blocked in the rest comes from you not your photo . you have all you need in your block in except the color but you have the value of your color. Don't allow it to be complex and shuffle you under, you are on top of it.

 

[Donna T]

You are so right about too much white, Wayne. That’s a lesson I seem doomed to keep repeating. I will try next time to block in with value in mind and not so much color so I appreciate that tip very much! I think I tried a color based block in because I saw someone do it that way but I get too distracted by color and lose the values. Maybe next time I’ll do my usual monochromatic block in and then add average colors on top. That should work if I keep the layers thin, I hope.

 

[Grapes]

Thanks for the blue colors info. I used cerulean blue but not anymore. I still keep cobolt blue and ultramarine blue. For me french ultramarin won't work but maybe it's bc I'm so used to ultramarine blue deep. I substitute cerulean with old delft blue which is kinda greenish blue anyway but I don't stick it to the skies would make it auroras borealis or something.

Your painting is so wonderfully soft. So, my mix of titanium white with yellow ochre (from Old Holland) might not work for you to paint the dry grass in front. I agree with Wayne some darker tones or accents could make grass jump.

 

[Donna T]

Grapes, I make greens in the sky so often when I try to warm up the blues. I probably won’t go back into the grasses but next time I will remember to put in more darks first. I should have paid more attention to the values from the beginning but I was excited to try out yellow ochre and red oxide and burnt umber etc. Do you mainly use Old Holland paint? I’ve heard it’s very good!

 

[Enyaw]

Maybe next time I’ll do my usual monochromatic block in

That’s all I use. Different shades of hues but only one color. 4 values only. Big brush only as I’m looking for value and I can refine the shapes when I color my values. It’s more about positions of where objects will fall. Within your values you look for movement .. how one value leads you where you want the viewer to follow.
I’m glad your hand is letting you paint.

 

[Grapes]

I often add darks later, too, wherever they are needed. I go back and forth.

Yes, mostly Old Holland. If l would get easier Williamsburg l'd paint more with them. I can get Rembrandt brand here and they are cheaper and not so stiff. Old Holland paint tubes last much longer than Rembrandt so actually they (OH) become more economic than cheaper brands which have more additive stuff mixed in them.

 

[Jo Castillo]

I just love this with the blue sage. So nice. At first glance I thought it was a pastel. I like the grasses, a little dark might help, but all in all this is mmm, mmm, good.

 

[Grapes]

I agree with Jo. I wouldn't touch this piece. It's a gem.

 

[Donna T]

Thanks Jo - wouldn’t this be a nice place to do a plein air?

I’m posting my fuzzy reference photo so you can all see why I’m having a hard time with these grasses. I do see some darks at the base of some of the grass clumps and even though I don’t want to draw a lot of attention there I think I’ll give them a little more definition. Thanks again to all for the helpful comments!